Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-03-30
fro BE CONTINUED
SHAYS' REBELLION.

Daniel Shays had held Captains
commission in the revolutionary
war, and does not seem to have much
heart in the rebellion to which he
has given his name. When the war
of the revolution closed, Massachu-
setts was in a wretched financial con-
dition from her efforts in the cause of
independence. Her State debt was
large, and the pay of her soldiers
was heavily in arrears. Besides,
she had undertaken payment OF
S., 900, 600 of the debt of the confed-
Grafton. Commerce and industry
were prostrate. Money, except de-
preciated papers, had disappeared
from circulation, and prices of the
necessities of living were exorbitant.
While the people were impoverish-
ed, the courts and the lawyers were
kept busy in endeavoring to enforce
the payment of debts.
In this condition of affairs popular
discomfort arose. AS there was no
surplus in the Massachusetts treas
ury for pensions it was proposed that
the defenders of the country should
be paid out of the property that had
been saved in the war. The courts
and the lawyers were a special OBJ
iect of resentment, and it was pro-
posed in many county conventions to
abolish lawyers and deprive them
of the right to hold office. The ad-
vice was largely followed. In many
places courts were not permitted to
open their session, the judges were
driven from the bench, and the SER
vice of writs was obstructed. 1t was
proposed to issue irredeemable tiat
money as legal tender for private
debts, and to repudiate the State debt
altogether.
In the midst of the popular fer
ment the Legislature met and the
House passed some of the most ex-
travagant measures of the malcon-
tents, but they were rejected by the
Senate. This resistance only increas-
ed the popular fury, and an insurec,,
tionary army of about two thousand
men gathered in Springfield, under
command of General Shays. Gov
ernor Bowdoin, who was aroused by
this formidable movement, at once
called out the militia, under Gen
eral Shepard, who commanded a
militia force in Springfield, took pos
session Of the arsenal. On the 27th
of January, 1887, the army OF the
insurgents marched upon the arse
nal in contemptuous defiance of the
warning of its commander. When
the insurgents advanced to the for
hidden point, General Shepard Or
dered his troops to fire. Four men
fell from the discharge of a howitzer,
and three were killed. Upon this
warm reception the rest fled in the
utmost confusion and never halted
unilthey were ten miles from Spring
field.
This practically put an end to the
rebellion of Shays, although some OF
the insurgents fingered in the field
for several months. Though the
insurrection was not without an i'm
portant influence upon the political
EhistQrysof the. country. 1t caused
not only the people Of Massachusetts,
but of the other colonies to realize
the loose character of the confed-
Grafton, to become more and more
convinced of the political necessity
"to form more perfect union" In
the words of the preamble of the
Federal constitution, "establish JUS
tice, insure domestic tranqility, pro-
vide for the general defence and Sc
cure the blessings of liberty" For
the unwilling share of Shays' rebel
lion in contribution to this benefi-
cent consummation due recognition
should be given.-Des Moines, (Ia.)
Leader,